BART station closes during 'civil disturbance'

By the CNN Wire Staff

August 15, 2011 9:23 p.m. EDT

BART cut cell phone service on the station's platform level as protesters planned to rally.

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

NEW: BART closes 2 stations Monday night due to "civil disturbance"
Citing "important issues," a spokesman says the FCC is probing cutting cell service
The Bay Area Rapid Transit system's action last week drew criticism, stirred an online attack
A BART official says the system was "forced" to act to protect passengers' safety

(CNN) -- An official with San Francisco's rapid transit system stood by the decision to shut off cell phone service ahead of a protest, not ruling out a similar move in response to a planned demonstration Monday.
Meanwhile, BART announced in a news alert e-mail and in a tweet about 5:30 p.m. PT (8:30 p.m. ET) Monday that its Civic Center station had been closed and "trains are running through."
Video from CNN affiliate KGO showed police officers in response gear at that station, with one officer on a megaphone telling people, "This is your final warning, the station is closed."
A short while later, BART tweeted an update, saying "Powell Station closed due to civil disturbance; trains now stopping to let riders off at Civic Center." Another tweet said the Montgomery Station was closed due to a civil disturbance.
The decision Thursday to "temporarily interrupt ... service at select BART stations as one of many tactics to ensure the safety of everyone on the platform" drew widespread criticism and stirred the well-known hacking group Anonymous to stage an "operation" Sunday. The group urged those supporting its cause to attend a "peaceful protest" at 5 p.m. Monday at the system's Civic Center stop.
Linton Johnson, the Bay Area Rapid Transit System's chief communications officer, said officials may again suspend cell phone service on the station's platform level on Monday.
"What we're going to do is take the appropriate steps within the Constitution," he said. "There are more constitutional rights than just free speech. There is the right to be safe."
Last week's action came as protesters planned to rally criticizing BART after several shootings involving its police officers -- the latest coming last month and resulting in the death of 45-year-old Charles Hill.
The protest never materialized. But the decision to cut cell service elicited fresh condemnations from civil liberty organizations, the San Francisco Chronicle's editorial page and others.
"All over the world people are using mobile devices to organize protests against repressive regimes, and we rightly criticize governments that respond by shutting down cell service, calling their actions anti-democratic and a violation of the rights to free expression and assembly," Rebecca Farmer from the ACLU's northern California office wrote on the advocacy group's website. "Are we really willing to tolerate the same silencing of protest here in the United States?"
Online messages attributed to Anonymous took credit for the apparent hacking Sunday of myBART.org, a link off BART's website that showed a page featuring, among other items, the hacking group's logo -- a smirking mask above two crossed swords, all on a black background.
In addition, Twitter traffic related to Anonymous boasted that hackers had been able to get into BART's internal network. Several related items and documents were posted, including one claiming to be "the User Info Database of MyBart.gov." This had e-mails and, in some cases, phone numbers and addresses of hundreds of people.
"By (cutting cell service), you have not only threatened your citizens' safety, you have also performed an act of censorship," a seemingly computer-generated voice -- speaking over dramatic music and images -- said in a video posted online Sunday afternoon. "By doing this, you have angered Anonymous."
The Federal Communications Commission is collecting information on the mater, with agency spokesman Neil Grace saying Monday by e-mail that "any time communications services are interrupted, we seek to assess the situation."
"We ... will be taking steps to hear from stakeholders about the important issues those actions raised, including protecting public safety and ensuring the availability of communications networks," said Grace.
Yet on Monday, Johnson emphatically stood by BART's move, made on the same day British Prime Minister David Cameron proposed a crackdown on social media to quell riots.
"We made a gut-wrenching decision that was forced upon us by the protesters," Johnson said. "They made us choose between people's ability to use their mobile phones (and) their constitutional right to get from point A to point B."
In the video statement linked to Anonymous and posted Sunday, a voice urges demonstrators Monday to wear red shirts "in remembrance of those who have been battered by the BART police" and bring a camera to record the events.
"We will show the world and BART that we will not stand for these types of actions," the voice said.
Johnson said Monday that the transit system has no problem if demonstrations occur in the "free speech" zone at stations, outside the fare gates.

"We welcome a peaceful protest," he said.

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BART protest live blog: Civic Center station reopens

By Kristin Bender and Denis Cuff
Contra Costa Times
© Copyright 2011, Bay Area News Group

Posted: 08/15/2011 05:06:05 PM PDT

Updated: 08/15/2011 06:27:38 PM PDT

Staff writers Kristin Bender and Denis Cuff are monitoring the planned protests Monday at the Civic Center BART station in San Francisco. Check back for frequent updates.

6:20 p.m. BART reports that Civic Center Station is now fully open. Powell Street Station now open for disembarking passengers but not for entering passengers. Montgomery Street Station is closed.
All other stations are open, BART says, but KCBS radio reports that passengers are not allowed into the Embarcadero station.
6:15 p.m. BART trains now are stopping for riders to disembark at Powell Street station.
6 p.m.
Powell and Montgomery stations are closed. Civic Center station is letting passengers off, but not allowing boarding trains there.
5:45 p.m.
BART has closed a gate to Powell Street station, according to BART's media information lane. Protesters rode down station escalator, came up it, and returned to the street. Commuters trying to enter Powell Street station were angry, confused and wondering what to do next. One 40-year-old Oakland woman was upset at being unable to board the train to get home. "I was in Civic Center and it was closed and they said to come to Powell and it was closed," said the woman who declined to give her name. "After a full day of work, I'm tired. I need to go home and rest. I'm mad."
BART is letting passengers off at Civic Center station, but not allowing boarding of trains there.

5:42 p.m.

Cluster of protesters is out of Market Street now & gathered above ground near the Powell Street station.5:34 p.m.
About 200 people are headed from the now closed Civic Center station toward the Powell Street station.
5:32 p.m
BART says it closed the Civic Center station at 5:24 p.m. because of overcrowding on platform. All other stations are open. Two trains are running late.
5:24 p.m.
Fliers being distributed at BART station call for firing of BART chief spokesman Linton Johnson. Fliers say it was Johnson's idea to cut cell service last week to thwart protest. A banner is displayed calling for elimination of BART police force.
5:17 p.m. No sign of police in Civic Center Plaza.
5:12 p.m. About a half dozen men in Civic Center Plaza are screaming at each other about First Amendment rights and free speech.
5:09 p.m. A few dozen apparent protesters are standing around at the Civic Center station.
4:50 p.m.
BART information hot line says all trains are running normally with no service disruptions.
4:38
BART workers in yellow vests on scene at Embarcadero station in preparation for extra security.

Disasterpastor45

Monday, August 15, 2011